Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-10-29

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

In many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing.

Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Nowadays, In numerous countries around the world rural people are moving to urban areas, therefore population in the country is decreasing. In this essay, I will discuss positive and negative effects of this development from my experience.

I strongly believed that this is a positive development that has various benefits for the people. To begin with, there is a huge difference between rural and urban lifestyle. Most of the people who migrate from rural area to cities the main purpose of their migration is obtain a better lifestyle. Firstly, in cities there are lot of career opportunities. The villagers can easily choose their career according to their skills. Secondly, the education facilities in cities are better than villages. Moreover, the other facilities such as hospitals, markets and networks are also better in cities than rural areas. Furthermore, enjoyment facilities such as cinema, parks and theatres are also available in cities.

While this development has numerous benefits on the other hand decreasing in country side's population has various negative effects. A shortage of labor in countryside can cause a fertile land to go to uncultivated. This reduction in food production threatens national food security and forces countries to rely heavily on expensive food imports. Moreover, As the rural population shrinks, local shops, markets, and small businesses lose their customer base and are forced to close, further crushing the local economy. When people migrate to city the sudden demand of flats and houses can cause a great increase in prices and people will sold their precious things to purchase houses.

In conclusion, the decreasing in countryside's population has both positive and negative effects.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

Your response addresses the question and gives a clear overall view: you call the movement a positive development, while also recognising its disadvantages. The benefits of urban migration are supported with examples such as career opportunities, education, healthcare and recreation. You also explain several rural consequences, including reduced food production and pressure on local businesses. However, the conclusion says only that there are positive and negative effects, so it does not reaffirm your stated judgement. Some points, particularly the claim that city facilities improve people’s lives, are listed rather than explained or illustrated. To strengthen the response, develop the most important reasons with a specific example and make your final position consistent with the argument in the body.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The essay has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, separate paragraphs for benefits and drawbacks, and a conclusion. The progression from urban opportunities to rural economic effects is generally easy to follow, and signposts such as “To begin with,” “Moreover” and “In conclusion” help guide the reader. However, some linking is mechanical: “While this development has numerous benefits on the other hand” combines contrasting signals awkwardly, and the benefits paragraph relies heavily on “Firstly,” “Secondly” and “Furthermore.” The conclusion also does not clearly connect back to your stated positive position. Use fewer formulaic transitions, make contrasts more direct, and ensure each paragraph develops one central idea in a clear sequence.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of vocabulary for the topic, including “career opportunities,” “food security,” “food imports,” “customer base” and “local economy.” These choices help communicate both the attractions of cities and the costs of rural decline. There are also some imprecise or unnatural expressions, such as “enjoyment facilities,” “a fertile land to go to uncultivated” and “crushing the local economy.” Repetition of “cities,” “facilities” and “development” also limits flexibility. Aim for more natural collocations and precise terms—for example, describe land as being “left uncultivated” and refer to “recreational amenities.” Proofread word forms and spelling, including “countryside,” to make your vocabulary more accurate and polished.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a cause-and-effect sentence about food production and a conditional structure beginning “When people migrate to city.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. Examples include “I strongly believed” where the present-tense argument calls for “believe,” “the main purpose … is obtain” instead of “is to obtain,” and “people will sold” instead of “people will sell.” Articles and agreement also need attention in phrases such as “in rural area” and “there are lot of career opportunities.” Punctuation and capitalisation are inconsistent, as in “Moreover, As.” Check verb forms, articles and singular/plural agreement, then revise complex sentences to ensure their clauses are grammatically complete.

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